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Context: India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
What are Open Natural Ecosystems?
- The core problem the Guide addresses: these ecosystems have long been judged by the absence of trees and classified as “wasteland” — even though they shelter species found nowhere else on earth and sustain pastoral communities.
- Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) are naturally treeless or sparsely treed landscapes — grasslands, savannas, scrublands, ravines and deserts.
What is the UNCCD?
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification |
| One of the three Rio Conventions | With the UNFCCC (climate) and CBD (biodiversity) |
| COP17 venue | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| India hosted | COP14, in New Delhi (2019) |
| Key concept | Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) — SDG target 15.3 |
| Convention | Subject |
|---|---|
| UNCCD | Desertification and land degradation |
| UNFCCC | Climate change |
| CBD | Biodiversity |
Origin and Membership
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Genesis | Formally recommended by Agenda 21 at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (UNCED) |
| Adopted | Paris, 17 June 1994 |
| Entered into force | December 1996 |
| Parties | 197 — 196 countries plus the European Union |
| Observance | 17 June is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought |
Aim
To combat desertification, reverse land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas (drylands) — in order to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030 and support sustainable livelihoods.
India and the UNCCD
- India hosted COP14 in New Delhi (2019), where the Delhi Declaration was adopted
- India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030
- At COP17, India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems
- Roughly 30% of India’s land area is affected by degradation, per the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas prepared by SAC-ISRO
